Hard-charging Vols steamroll Gators by 31
By Phil Kegler, Special to the Times
Published March 8, 2008
NASHVILLE - Alexis Hornbuckle's no-look pass missed its intended recipient and landed in the hands of Angie Bjorklund, who sank a wide-open 3-pointer from the right wing.
Hornbuckle just threw up her hands and shrugged as she ran back on defense.
It was that kind of day for No. 3 Tennessee, which used a 26-4 second-half surge to rout Florida 92-61 Friday afternoon. The second-seeded Volunteers (28-2) earned a spot in the SEC tournament semifinals for the 15th straight year and face the Auburn-Vanderbilt winner at 9 tonight.
The Gators (18-13) extended their losing streak against ranked opponents to 15 in their largest defeat of the season.
Florida lost its leading scorer and rebounder, junior forward Marshae Dotson, less than seven minutes into the game to a sprained left knee. Dotson drove to the basket and went up for a layup in a crowded paint and fell to the floor. Candace Parker helped her up before the junior limped to the bench.
"When I saw Marshae go down, I knew me and Sha (Brooks) would have to step up, and people off the bench would have to step it up, as well," said Florida senior guard Depree Bowden, who scored 15 on 6-of-11 shooting. "It affected our low-post game because some people weren't used to playing so many minutes."
Tennessee dominated down low in Dotson's absence, outscoring Florida 38-20 in the paint, behind Parker's game-high 26 points. Point guard Shannon Bobbitt ran the offensive with efficiency, especially in transition, scoring 22 and dishing six assists. The Volunteers held a 30-4 advantage in fastbreak points.
"They generate their own momentum," Florida coach Amanda Butler said. "We missed assignments, and I didn't feel like our communication and our defensive transition was what it should have been."
No. 7 LSU 80, OLE MISS 36: Quianna Chaney scored 17 and SEC player of the year Sylvia Fowles added 10 as top-seeded LSU (26-4) won by the third-largest margin in tournament history. Saddled with two early first-half fouls, Fowles watched from the bench as reserve Mesha Williams scored nine first-half points to ignite a 19-6 run and hold a 39-19 lead at halftime. The Tigers continued to roll, going on a 27-6 run to open the second half. Ole Miss (13-16) set a record for fewest points scored in an SEC tournament game.
KENTUCKY 57, No. 23 UGA 50: Sarah Elliot scored a game-high 16 to lead the fourth-seeded Wildcats to their third tournament semifinal appearance since the league expanded to 12 teams in 1992. Kentucky (15-14) held All-American Tasha Humphrey to six points on 3-of-12 shooting for Georgia (22-9). UK faces top-seeded LSU at 6:30 tonight. The Wildcats lost both regular-season meetings against the Tigers.